Patrice Bergeron, who led the Boston Bruins to the 2011 championship and two other trips to the Stanley Cup final over two decades in which he established himself as the NHL’s dominant two-way forward and one of the most respected players in the game, announced Tuesday “with a full heart and a lot of gratitude” that he was retiring.
“I have given the game everything that I have physically and emotionally, and the game has given me back more than I could have ever imagined,” the Bruins captain said in a statement posted on social media. “As I step away today, I have no regrets. I have only gratitude that I lived my dream, and excitement for what is next for my family and I. I left everything out there and I’m humbled and honored it was representing this incredible city and for the Boston Bruins fans.”
The Bruins are expected to retire Bergeron’s No. 37, making him the 12th player so honoured. He is a certain first-ballot inductee for the Hockey Hall of Fame when he is eligible in three years.
“Patrice is a perfect example of what Boston Bruins hockey is all about,” said team president Cam Neely, himself a Hall of Fame player whose number has been retired by the Original Six franchise. “He has been an amazing teammate and extraordinary leader, helping establish a culture of work ethic, respect and selflessness.”
Bergeron, who turned 38 on Monday, considered retirement last summer only to return for another season. With him as the captain and the first-line center, the Bruins set NHL records with 65 wins and 135 points, and Bergeron won an unprecedented sixth Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward.
But Bergeron missed the first four games of the playoffs with a herniated disk, and the Presidents Trophy winners lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Florida Panthers.
‘Right time to step away’
Bergeron wrote Tuesday that he knows “how blessed and lucky I feel to have had the career that I have had, and that I have the opportunity to leave the game I love on my terms.”
“It wasn’t a decision that I came to lightly,” he said. “But after listening to my body, and talking with my family, I know in my heart that this is the right time to step away from playing the game I love.”
In all, Bergeron scored 427 goals and 1,040 regular-season points in 19 seasons — all with the Bruins, who selected him in the second round of the 2003 draft. He added 50 goals and 78 points in the playoffs, leading the Bruins to the Stanley Cup final three times, and scoring twice — one of them shorthanded — in the Game 7 clincher against Vancouver. The French-speaking native of the Quebec City suburbs also won two Olympic gold medals with Canada.
He is third all-time for the 100-year-old franchise in goals, points and games played (1,294), and fourth in assists behind only Hall of Famers Ray Bourque, Johnny Bucyk and Bobby Orr. With Bergeron’s retirement, Brad Marchand becomes the only remaining member of the 2011 championship team, though Milan Lucic re-signed with the team this summer after eight seasons away.
To his teammates, Bergeron wrote: “I have tried to learn something from each and every one of you and I always tried to be the best teammate that I could be. I will never forget your trust, the laughs, the endless memories, the ups and downs, and ultimately the long lasting friendships. I will forever be grateful being a part of such an exceptional group of men, and I will carry the pride of winning in 2011 with me forever.”
He also thanked the Bruins management and staff, the Boston fans and media, and his teammates and family and ended with a message to the next generation of hockey players.
“I had a dream at 12 years old, and through hard work and perseverance my dreams came true more than I ever could have imagined,” he wrote. “Respect the game and your peers. Welcome adversity and simply enjoy yourself. No matter where you go from there the game will bring you so much happiness.”
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
